


And the Clock Will Strike Midnight

by LuminescentLullaby



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dancing, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gabriel has a Sads, Gabriel is Scared of Being Alone Basically, Issues with Mortality, M/M, Sam is a Stork on Stilts, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:19:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1929921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuminescentLullaby/pseuds/LuminescentLullaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sam accepted Gabriel's offer of learning how to dance, he had been expecting something goofy, funny, sexy- anything but the bittersweet reality of what really ended up happening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Clock Will Strike Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song _Cinderella_ by Steven Curtis Chapman, which makes me cry every time without really knowing why. Recommended that you listen while reading.

When Sam had agreed to let Gabriel teach him how to dance, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Knowing the, well, gently put, _frisky_ archangel, Sam had been half-expecting Gabriel to start grinding on him or snap his fingers and conjure up a pole. Stripping, Sam had happened to know first-hand, was something Gabriel was actually quite good at. When the human had inquired, he'd simply winked and purred something about 'lots of experience, Samsquatch.'

So, Sam had completely been expecting- and prepared for- something sexy. But this? This had been a total surprise.

The usually flirtatious Trickster had a CD case clutched tightly to his chest and an honest, genuine smile on his face. Smirks, he wore often, but earnest, _happy_ smiles were a rarity from the archangel. He shuffled his feet and looked down at them to hide his blushing face. "So... you got a CD player?" He finally asked when he managed to meet Sam's curious gaze, to which the hunter merely shook his head. Heaving a heavy sigh, Gabriel snapped his fingers and conjured up a the desired device, though his expression suggested that it was _such_ a _chore_.

Sam smiled fondly as the archangel moved to put his disc in, listening to the quiet whir of the machine as Gabriel skipped to the track he wanted. "You're such a drama queen, you know that?" he informed Gabriel as the opening bars of a song Sam didn't recognize began to play.

"Shut up and dance with me," Gabriel retorted, though his voice was tender and loving. He carefully arranged Sam's large hands so one rested on the small of the archangel's back and the fingers of the other were woven together with those of one of Gabriel's hands. Gently, Gabriel coaxed Sam into moving in time with the music even as he laid his free hand on the human's shoulder. Sam shuffled his feet awkwardly and looked down at them to keep from stepping on the smaller pair because _God_ , that would be embarrassing. Just then, a tender, loving voice began to sing.

_She spins and she sways to whatever song plays_

_Without a care in the world_

_And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders_

_It's been a long day and there's still work to do_

_But she's pulling at me_

_Saying 'Dad, I need you_

_There's a ball at the castle_

_And I've been invited_

_And I need to practice my dancing'_

Sam finally looked back up from his feet and met Gabriel's honey eyes, somewhat taken aback by the sheer adoration he found there. For once, the teasing Trickster wasn't laughing at him, telling him he was as graceful as a stork on stilts or something like that. They danced on through the first chorus, and Sam was struggling to understand why Gabriel had picked a song about a father dancing with his daughter. Sure, he knew the archangel had his Daddy issues, but _really_?

The second verse and chorus came and went, and Sam was still no closer to understanding what the logic behind the song choice had been. He had almost been expecting Gabriel to pipe up at any minute, changing the 'and I danced with Cinderella' to 'and I danced with Samerella', though the archangel stayed quiet, looking up at him with that pensive, idolizing expression.

It was during the third verse that Sam noticed the film of tears forming on his mate's usually bright, honey eyes. He began to worry a little, but he continued to dance, afraid that he would catch more Hell from Gabriel for stopping before the song was over than he would for waiting another minute to ask if he was alright. Gabriel was weird like that. As the final chorus played, Sam really _listened_ to the words for the first time, and he felt that maybe he was beginning to understand.

_So I danced with Cinderella_

_While she is here in my arms_

_'Cause I know something the Prince never knew_

_And I danced with Cinderella_

_I don't want to miss even one song_

_'Cause all too soon_

_The clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll be gone_

_And she'll be gone..._

As the final bars faded away, Sam looked down at the still-silent Trickster whose cheeks were now wet with fresh tear tracks. "Gabriel, why did you do this?" Sam asked in a murmur, nosing into the archangel's hair and bringing his comparatively tiny form into an embrace.

"'C-cause, kiddo. I needed to dance with Cinderella," Gabriel replied with a sad little smile on his typically jubilant face. "'Cause one day the clock's gonna strike midnight on my wonderful, beautiful, amazing, perfect Sam Winchester, and you're gonna be gone."

Oh. _That._ They didn't usually talk about Sam's mortality. The human hadn't ever really put much thought into how much it must bother Gabriel to think about, but as the archangel buried his face in Sam's chest and openly wept, it was hard not to notice.

"Shh, shh. You're okay, Gabriel, I promise. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," Sam assured as he gently rubbed Gabriel's back, pressing warm kisses to his fragrant hair. "It's not midnight yet, angel. We've still got all the time in the world left for dancing."

The flicker of hope that flitted onto Gabriel's face when he looked up at that was enough to make Sam forget how self-conscious he had been about his dancing and sweep the immensely powerful and sometimes impossibly fragile and delicate creature into his arms so that they could dance the night away.


End file.
